1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing control device, a printing control method, and a medium recording printing control program wherein a printing device which prints print images on printing media using colored ink containing coloring material and uncolored ink containing no coloring material is controlled.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a wide variety of printing media. For example, such media as glossy paper and plain paper different in gloss exist. Glossy paper is used for high-quality print of photos and the like, and plain paper is used when the best image quality is not required. In some inks, the degree of gloss varies depending on the amount of ink injected, and glossy paper can become lacking in the uniformity of gloss. To cope with this, uncolored ink containing no coloring material is used together with colored ink to improve the glossy appearance of print images. As colored ink, cyanic ink C, magenta ink M, yellow ink Y, black ink K, and the like are used.
A technique wherein whether to discharge treating liquid is controlled by the user's choice is known. The treating liquid (uncolored ink) is for insolubilizing colored ink, and is discharged through nozzles for discharging the treating liquid onto an agent on which ink is to be recorded (printing medium). (Refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 8(1996)-72230.)
A technique wherein the recording mode is changed as required when recording is carried out is also known. Recording mode a and recording mode c are provided. In recording mode a, recordability enhancement liquid (uncolored ink) is discharged to the entire recorded images, and in recording mode c, recordability enhancement liquid is not discharged. (Refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 8(1996)-216434.)
RGB data is for representing the output images of a display by gradation data with respect to each of component colors R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue). CMYKCl data is for representing images by gradation data with respect to each of component colors C, M, Y, and K corresponding to colored ink used in a printing device and achromatic Cl corresponding to uncolored ink. When RGB data is color-converted into CMYKCl data and a printing device is controlled using the CMYKCl data, color conversion tables (color conversion LUTs) are used in color conversion. These LUTs hold gradation data for each of C, M, Y, and K, and is provided with a large amount of data corresponding to, for example, 17 lattice points with respect to each of R, G, and B (173 points in total). If an attempt is made to provide print mode in which uncolored ink is used and print mode in which uncolored ink is not used, the following procedure must be taken: different LUTs are prepared for respective print modes, and stored beforehand on a predetermined recording medium, such as a hard disk.